Read All About It! - A Community NewspapAAR

[TheButterflyComposer]

The French Red Guard were on the cusp of rising in the game (must have been all those stirring editorials from @DensleyBlair in Le Libertaire ) but I may have had to prod the Tunisian Nationalists into action. Thought it would add a bit of spice to proceedings.

You may yet get your infighting reds now they can actually argue about whats actually happening.

 

[DensleyBlair]

You may yet get your infighting reds now they can actually argue about whats actually happening.

As soon as the Red Guard co-opt the state for their own ends, I’m fairly certain the Libertaire will have something to say. (Until the bureaucrats come for the printing presses, of course.)

 

[El Pip]

International News​

His divine majesty's Government humbly announced that peace negotiations have been concluded and the state of war between the Japanese led alliance and her foolish opponents has ended.

His armies and navy standing undefeated and unchallenged, the most honourable and benevolent Emperor despatched his envoys to the Conference of Geneva in the hopes that the other so-called powers would recognise the foolishness of continuing to attempt to oppose his will and the unconquerable might of his forces. Fortunately for their continued existence, their weak willed leaders bowed before the inevitable and formed an unseemly scramble to acceded to the terms presented.

While Japan's dominance over East Asia has been obvious to all for many decades, it has at last been formally recognised and Japan's standing as the pre-eminent world power acknowledged by all present at the conference. The Japanese people have been fortunate to witness such a triumph of military might and diplomatic cunning, all credit must naturally go to the Emperor for his wise leadership in this conflict.

Military News​

Freed of the need to maintain deterrence now that the lesser powers have accepted Japan's status, his Majesty has directed that his forces be reduced and the resources saved be expended on internal projects. The soldiers and sailors released from service in his mighty armed forces will now serve to further enhance the peaceful areas of his domains, furthering their perfection with the unmatched skills they have acquired mastering the arts of war.

Bureaucratic Notices​

A handful of unimportant territories that cost the Imperial Treasury more to maintain than they could ever possibly earn have been expelled from the Empire. It is understood the lesser powers have dishonourably scurried to grab these scraps discarded by the Emperor and will now have to bear the cost of maintaining them.

 

[DensleyBlair]

A suitably euphemistic account of the settlement from the Japanese perspective.

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

Brilliant.

 

[El Pip]

I was going for "We can't admit the truth but are forbidden by culture and tradition from telling blatant lies" style, I'm glad it worked as well as it did.

I'm hoping we are just seeing the usual Summer slowdown and things will all burst into life again come the Autumn.

 

[DensleyBlair]

I'm hoping we are just seeing the usual Summer slowdown and things will all burst into life again come the Autumn.

I will endeavour to have a special revolutionary edition of the Libertaire out this week. Have been unexpectedly busy these past few days.

 

[DensleyBlair]

LE LIBERTAIRE
Journal du Monde Libéré

JAN 1891—EDITION RÉVOLUTIONAIRE!​

​

“The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. WORKING MEN OF ALL COUNTRIES, UNITE!”​

It suffices now, at this historic hour, when the fate of all free peoples lives and dies in the streets, to reproduce those immortal words under whose banner we have rallied for so long! Workers of all lands, liberation shall soon be upon us in France! Leboeuf lays siege to the ossified ruin of bourgeois Paris, fresh from having been gutted by the imperialists of Germany and Britain. 36 thousands of downtrodden peoples, cast adrift and left without hope, have taken it upon themselves to say: ENOUGH! We shall take back the hope so cruelly torn from us by the factory owner, the landlord, the liberal deputy – and yes, the bureaucratic union functionary! This is the time of immediate action! We can build for ourselves a new world in the streets, better than the last, a free and liberated home for all mankind! This is the promise of the Revolution, and this is why we fight at this time!

Friends across France, know that we are many. The dejected French army, defeated and demoralised after having been betrayed by corpulent generals and distant ministers – drawing up plans of action with scarcely any regard for the human cost! – has been commanded to turn upon Paris, and by the end of the week we face the threat of armed conflict between working people. Therefore to the soldiers we say this: Know that your enemy is not in the boulevards, but in the Faubourgs, the Palais and the Salons! Ask yourselves, with whom do you wish to make common cause: fearless partisans of a brighter future, or unthinking politicians who would not spare you a second glance? The Communist is the enemy only of those who disagree with the immediate and fundamental necessity of the construction of a free and just society. To all others we say: Join us!

There are at present over one hundred thousand men and women fighting for freedom in the streets up and down Paris. The armies can field only a quarter of this figure. Meanwhile, the colonies have been liberated; the Gambia, Hausaland and Senegal are all in revolt! No longer will the Black man be subjugated by the White oppressor! The new tomorrow is visible: we must only have the resolve to seize it! Our freedom shall be of our own creation!

Therefore to the barricades, all friends of Freedom! The end of the old order is upon us! Let us be kind midwives to birth of Liberty in these lands!

 

[El Pip]

Stirring stuff as always, though I see the issue of the Tunisian nationalist rebels has been somewhat glossed over. I'm a bit hazy but I doubt they are fully on board with the revolution.

The Communist is the enemy only of those who disagree with the immediate and fundamental necessity of the construction of a free and just society. To all others we say: Join us!​

​

I may have to ensure the revolution succeeds, just to see how Le Libertaire copes when this bold prediction meets the reality of running a country. I suspect it will all be wreckers and saboteurs, followed by "It was never proper Communism anyway" but I may yet be surprised.

 

[DensleyBlair]

I may have to ensure the revolution succeeds, just to see how Le Libertaire copes when this bold prediction meets the reality of running a country. I suspect it will all be wreckers and saboteurs, followed by "It was never proper Communism anyway" but I may yet be surprised.

If you want a sneak preview of the next edition, it will probably involve the repeated exhortation that "You forgot to abolish the value form! "

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

"It was never proper Communism anyway"

I think that now, so will certainly be pleased when they lose. Purity of ideals is of course far, far more important than policy in practice.

 

[DensleyBlair]

I think that now, so will certainly be pleased when they lose. Purity of ideals is of course far, far more important than policy in practice.

I mean, let’s be honest, they’re doomed from the start; it’s not like the Vicky game engine could handle the sort of free associative commune that the Libertaire is hankering for. I think an historical geopolitical simulator probably breaks down when you start getting rid of things like “money” and “the state”.

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

I mean, let’s be honest, they’re doomed from the start; it’s not like the Vicky game engine could handle the sort of free associative commune that the Libertaire is hankering for. I think an historical geopolitical simulator probably breaks down when you start getting rid of things like “money” and “the state”.

"People? What the fuck do people have to do with good governance?"

-our man in Whitehall

 

[DensleyBlair]

"People? What the fuck do people have to do with good governance?"

-our man in Whitehall

*Cut to Our man furiously writing a materialist critique of the imminent Paris Commune*

I did unpause the game just to see how long the rebellion would last, and in spite of giving the army a far worse kicking than they had any right to the Commune was dispersed after something like six days. So if @El Pip isn’t feeling generous it may be a pretty brief dalliance with proletarian dictatorship.

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

I've been busy this week with legal internships. However, am thinking of articles to write. Maybe another world according to secret, this time on a continent he actually likes? Or check in with the good Count, whom has been wandering around England unchecked for weeks now.

 

[El Pip]

I've been busy this week with legal internships. However, am thinking of articles to write. Maybe another world according to secret, this time on a continent he actually likes? Or check in with the good Count, whom has been wandering around England unchecked for weeks now.

Must admit the I preferred the Count to Secret so more from him.

On Secrete I think that, like many a character less is more, and the more he actually develops a character the more he risks demolishing the mystique. Like the Sphinx in Gone in Sixty Seconds brief but profound would be good.

As it appears it is definitely down to us three I'll give you till this coming weekend then advance the save. I may (will) give the revolution a helping hand if that will make things more interesting.

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

Must admit the I preferred the Count to Secret so more from him.

On Secrete I think that, like many a character less is more, and the more he actually develops a character the more he risks demolishing the mystique. Like the Sphinx in Gone in Sixty Seconds brief but profound would be good.

As it appears it is definitely down to us three I'll give you till this coming weekend then advance the save. I may (will) give the revolution a helping hand if that will make things more interesting.

I like the Count. It's very easy to write a poor old me narrative about a super powered and melancholic aristocrat. Fancy that...

 

[El Pip]

Apologies for the delay everyone. I say everyone more in hope than expectation. Anyway, latest save taking us up to March 1891 and this is a good one I think. Certainly I'm already mapping out a couple of articles;

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16jYcMpsvpdUatsy9oynaTxQgC9x326GN/view?usp=sharing

Spoiler: A Summary of French Events

The big news, the Red Guard uprising in France went well. The French government foolishly split it's army, sending just under half it's force south under Leroy Bonaparte to clear the south coast while the larger portion under Achille Foch went to Paris. Foch attacked the Parisian rebels and, after a bitter fight, lost on the 24th Feb leaving the rebels to siege the capital.

Meanwhile L. Bonaparte defeated a small force at Dijon in late January but then met his brother/cousin/person with the same last name Thierry Bonaparte at Grenoble in mid February and after an epic battle lost on 10th March. Such was his shame at losing the last government field army in France proper he was sacked and replaced as army commander of the shattered husk that survived.

The French armies in Africa are abandoning that continent to the rebels and streaming north.

In just as big news, the Tunisian rebellion was a triumph (for the rebels) and on March 23rd they declared Tunis independent and formed a new nation. Which is a primitive, uncivilised (in tech terms), absolute monarchy under the conservative Royal Faction. The contrast with France is quite amusing I feel.

Speaking of amusing, on 1st March France 'invented' State Bond Monetary Mechanism. This occurred just after the Communist had defended Paris and the Tunis nationalists had occupied the entire country. I like the idea of a French banker having worked away in the Treasury for months emerging to tell everyone the good news about his invention, having no idea what has happened.

Spoiler: A Summary of World Events

A Russo-German Alliance was formed on the 4th January. In far more trivial news the UK and USCA also sign an alliance

Switzerland, having been kicked out of the A-H Alliance for not wanting to attack Serbia, rejoins the A-H alliance. Spain also declined to invade the Balkans but did not rejoin. The war itself was a formality, the A/H army defeating the Serbs in the first battle before methodically occupying the country. The last Serb province has not yet been occupied, but it's only a matter of time until the map is tidied up.

10th January the CSA re-elects the triumphant war hero President Pettigrew for a second term

Early January - Communist uprising in Ottoman Empire. The tiny Ottoman army was overwhelmed in first battles, leaving Constantinople under siege. As the Treaty bans Ottomans from building any more forces, the rebels are going to win this one. Hence why in early March Ottomans get the "Abandon Istanbul" event. (But it is definitely still Constantinople)

February 24th - The Papal States add the 'Trans-Jordan' to their demands for the 10th Crusade and the Pope issues 'Rerum Novarum' papal encyclical.

The Dutch continue to fail to take Atjeh, indeed Siam is starting to push them back in places.

Spain has almost fully occupied Algeria, just one last province to go

The Arabian war of sand and pointlessness continues to grind on to no particular effect, besides demonstrating Arabia is terrible at fighting wars.

 

[DensleyBlair]

Vive la revolution! And vive the endless stream of incompetent Bonapartes the French sent to relieve the Pays d'Oc.

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

World seems to be settling down again, except perhaps in Arabia and the dutch's pathetic efforts in siam.

Couple years of peace perhaps, unless someone truly insane or offensive comes to power in France...